Abstract
Green consumption is usually understood in the context of green consumption values and receptivity to green communication. Voluntary simplicity, a related yet distinct construct that relies on ecological responsibility, has not been included in the same framework. This paper bridges this gap and extends the original model to consider green consumption and voluntary simplicity in a unified structure. Based on a study conducted in Romania, it was found that 70% of the variation in buying behavior is explained by a combination of direct and mediated influences. The main takeaway is that any serious attempt to encourage responsible buying has to rely on a reduction in the absolute level of consumer demand. This result has far-reaching implications because the current paradigm of economic growth and prosperity is tributary to consumerism. The question is not how to avoid curtailing consumption and substitute green products for those harming the environment, but rather how to make voluntary frugality palatable.
Highlights
Buying Behavior: An ExtendedClimate change and environmental degradation are undoubtedly one of the greatest existential threats faced by mankind in recent memory [1]
This paper extends the original structure by taking into consideration ecological responsibility and voluntary simplicity
The analysis uses a sample of 741 respondents and a Partial Least-Square Path Model (PLS-PM) methodology to test the determinants of green buying behavior and their mediators
Summary
Climate change and environmental degradation are undoubtedly one of the greatest existential threats faced by mankind in recent memory [1]. Fighting back to slow down and even reverse the effects of climate change is a monumental task. One of the more important directions of action aims to change consumer habits by nudging them towards sustainability [2]. Green or responsible consumption represents choices favoring products and services with the lowest possible impact on the environment [3,4]. The aim is to reduce humankind’s ecological footprint to a minimum. Green buying behavior has been modeled in connection with green consumption values and receptivity to green communication [5–7]
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